


Friends, New and Old

by Tangent101



Series: A New Beginning [3]
Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Blackwell Academy (Life is Strange), Classes will be like in high school, F/F, I've already crafted schedules for a couple of the characters and partial schedules for others, Max and Chloe meet early, Rachel is Missing, Slow Burn, Some things may differ though, Start Of The School Year, There's two dorms and the rooms are smaller, Things have changed, Why Dontnod didn't intelligently research schools and dorms I have no idea
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:20:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26941297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tangent101/pseuds/Tangent101
Summary: Max and Chloe, together again! Well, that's the plan. But with Chloe's truck being out of commission, it looks like a bus ride back to Blackwell is in order and then running into someone new. Because the best laid plans of mice and women never go forth as intended... and photo opportunities always beckon!
Relationships: Maxine "Max" Caulfield/Chloe Price
Series: A New Beginning [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1854292
Comments: 41
Kudos: 12





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> You might have seen this previously at the end of Angels, if you'd seen a Chapter 3 for the fanfic (it's since been deleted)! After Ipomia pointed out to me that it could get confusing bouncing things back and forth, I decided I'm going to go back to my original plan - a series of short interconnected stories, each from one specific character's point of view. Sorry for the confusion! (And thank you, Ipomia! Sometimes it takes having flaws in an idea pointed out before you abandon them and do something better!)

I was halfway to the bus stop when it dawned on me that Chloe and I could have _walked_ back to Blackwell. Stumbling to a stop, I glanced back up the hill. Was Angel's bike still there? But what should I do? Just turn around and walk up there and suggest... _Suggest what, Max? You'd be admitting you're an idiot who forgot Chloe walked to school? Yeah, way to look lame._ Slouching, I continued down toward the bus stop. No matter what I did, I'd look like a fool.  
  
Angel had been so overjoyed to get on her bike I just... let her talk me into what she wanted. She probably was looking forward to giving Chloe a ride. _Face it, Max. If you'd walked, you'd have turned around before getting to her house, or backed off when you saw her hair. I just hope I looked a_ tiny _bit cool getting off of Angel's bike_.  
  
Chloe looked so different than when I'd left Arcadia Bay. Her eyes were sharper, her face more angular... her hair was blue! It's really pretty. I'd never dare dye my hair, not even with Chloe's urging. Mom and Dad would _kill_ me if I dyed it! Well, okay, they'd not kill me, but they definitely wouldn't approve... _Oh Dog, I can't ever admit this to Chloe. She'd tease me non-stop about being such a_ good _little girl. She wouldn't be wrong either._

A cat was twining through picket fencing ahead of me at the base of the hill. I paused, pulling my old battered camera out of my case and knelt. The kitty tilted her head toward me and I took the shot. I'd really lucked out finding this old camera at an estate sale in Seattle. My granddad had given me twenty dollars for my birthday and I spent the whole thing on this busted old camera and nearly twenty packs of film. It took me a week to piece back together the camera and Mom lectured me for over an hour on how I had "wasted my money." 

She held onto every dollar fiercely. Things had been tight our first year in Seattle even with living with my grandpa. Mom and dad finally found jobs and we were able to move into a small two-bedroom apartment in the middle of Seattle. Don't get me wrong, Grandpa's got a nice home but... I was sleeping on the sofa the whole time.

Mom was still frugal with money, clipping out more coupons than she ever uses. She'd gotten into more than one argument with Dad over Dad bringing me to sporting events. When I'd gotten approved to attend Blackwell I almost expected her to say no. Hell, I'd wanted to attend Blackwell with a new wardrobe. She chose to bring me to Value Village and while we found some nice stuff... I still felt shabby compared to a lot of people going here. At least Angel's clothes weren't brand new. And while I don't need a _great_ computer... it would have been nice to at least pick up a printer. I'm going to have to rely on the school printers.  
  
The kitty bumped my knee, jostling me out of my thoughts, and I scritched her ears before standing. It would so be my luck if I missed the bus because I was dawdling. Fortunately, it was just pulling up to the stop as I reached the stop. I pulled out a pair of earbuds and let the Doubleclicks drown out the world while a couple teens brushed by me getting off the bus. I slipped in before the door closed and drifted to the middle of the bus, sitting as it lurched into motion.  
  
This would be my life for the next half year. You know, pending alien invasions and whatever else the Doubleclicks were singing about. I glanced back the way I came as we pulled away from the stop, a shaky sigh slipping free. Chloe didn't hate me! That had been my greatest fear, that she'd tell me off for ditching her these last five years. It didn't help that I was too scared to text her when Mom signed us up to a family calling plan last year and I'd gotten my first and only phone. I had a half dozen letters I'd written after leaving, I should have sent one of those.  
  
Okay, they were tear-stained and crumpled up and then flattened again but... no. It's for the best she never sees those. They were hidden in the bottom of one of the boxes I'd brought. I was so scared Mom would go on another "decluttering" spree like the time she'd thrown out all my old keepsakes from Arcadia Bay and put most of the photographs I'd brought with me into storage.  
  
We'd gotten into a... rather spirited discussion over that. Dad ended up intervening and made me apologize. But she'd gone into _my_ room without permission while I was at school! She'd thrown out all the drawings I'd done with Chloe. The only photo of Chloe I had left at the apartment was the one I bring with me everywhere, one of the last pictures William had taken of Chloe and I while we'd been dressed up as pirates! It was like Mom and Dad just wanted to forget all about Arcadia Bay. I can't do that. It's home. Seattle will never be home. Not to me.  
  
The bus shuddered to a stop before Blackwell and I climbed out, looking at the brick-and-glass building. Tomorrow was the big day. A pair of teenagers with a trailing coterie of parents lugging luggage walked past and I turned and followed them, half-listening to grumbles about there being no parking by the dorms. It _would_ have made things easier if Dad had been able to park at the dorms and bring things right in rather than lug them all the way from the parking lot. _That's probably half the reason Mom and Dad were so eager to say goodbye and head off, rather than follow me with my last box of stuff. I don't blame them._  
  
I paused near the entrance to Prescott Dorm while the students continued walking toward the men's dorm, parents in tow. The sun was shining against a totem overlooking the dorms and Blackwell. I pulled my Polaroid out of my bag and turned toward the odd-looking pole. The sun was shining just right. The totem was calling to me... I headed toward the totem. _Just one picture...._  
  
The walkway was lined with a knee-height chain fence and I knelt before it rather than step over it. The light played against the totem's wings, the vivid blue sky above almost leaching into the dirty white of painted feathers, and I lined up a shot... "Cool, isn't it?" I startled, the camera clicking and a picture whirred from the Polaroid. "Oh, that's a neat camera, I've not seen one like that before!"  
  
Turning, I looked at a youthful teen who was staring down at me with wide eager eyes. "Hi, I'm Warren," he said and I hesitantly smiled back.  
  
"Um, I'm Max. I'm here for the photography program and wanted to get a picture..." I said, petering off as the inanity of my comment sunk in. Yeah, some guy started talking to me and I just _stated_ the obvious. Wonderful. My shoulders drooped and I glanced up as the sky darkened. A large fluffy cloud had meandered between me and the sun. The lighting was lost.  
  
"You mean the Tobanga?" I looked back at Warren and his face lit up. "It's been here as long as anyone remembers. Mrs. Grant said no one knows where it came from. She suggested it was stolen and brought here long ago."  
  
I returned my gaze to the totem. It definitely looked old, and I felt an itch between my shoulders at the totem's eyes staring off toward the school. "Why do they call it the Tobanga?" I asked.  
  
Warren shrugged. "I don't know. I could look it up for you if you'd like?" He started toward the men's dorm and paused, smiling back at me. "Why don't you join me? I've got everything set up in my room! We can play games and relax before classes start tomorrow!"  
  
Oh. Um... sorry Angel! "I can't. I've got... a couple friends helping me unpack and set things up. They're waiting for me," I replied, hoping desperately that Angel wouldn't mind me calling her a friend. The shine in Warren's eyes faded a little.  
  
"Fine, you're just going to miss out on some awesome games. Maybe later," he said and started trudging toward the other dorm.  
  
I looked down at the photograph in my hand and winced. He'd caught me at just the wrong moment. The totem was out of focus, oddly juxtaposed with fairly crisp trees in the background. It almost was as if the totem wasn't completely in this world. I pondered the photograph for a moment, resisting the urge to rip it in half as a wasted effort. I might have lost the lighting, but the image itself _was_ rather interesting... I shrugged and put the photograph in the camera bag along with my old battered Polaroid.  
  
My pocket buzzed and I pulled it out of my pocket. Angel had messaged me. She had gotten my number before we'd headed to Chloe's. _Damn, I still have to get Chloe's number! She'll probably be upset because I didn't remember it... well, sorry Chloe but it's been five years and I didn't have a phone back then!_

**Where are you at?**

**Outside the dorm. I'll be there in a minute** I typed back, and headed into Prescott Dorm.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max has returned to her dorm room and is all set to start putting things together while hanging out with her old best friend and a new friend. But when Angel bails when her stuff arrives, Max is left alone with Chloe, five years of guilt hanging over her as its own sword of Damocles. Is Chloe actually willing to let bygones be bygones?

The stairs were clear of parents and kids still moving in. Maybe I'd lucked out and just caught a lull in last-minute arrivals, but I didn't question my luck and quickly made my way to the second floor.  
  
Okay, I lie. Of course I questioned it. I ran into all sorts of scenarios as to why so many people had been there earlier and why there were fewer now. And it was getting later. It would be dinner in a couple of hours (my stomach rumbled lightly to remind me I'd not eaten since breakfast; Mom and Dad didn't want to be driving into the wee hours of the morning, especially with Seattle traffic being what it is. No doubt they expected me to get something from the cafeteria.  
  
My room was by the hallway leading to the extensions. Principal Wells actually lived on the bottom floor to keep an eye on the students and enforce the 9 p.m. curfew. Honestly, that kind of sucked. What if I was visiting Chloe and next thing I know it's past 9? I was used to getting up by six to get thing together and have breakfast but... ah well. Classes start tomorrow.  
  
"Max! About time you got your lazy butt up here, we've been waiting for hours already!" I looked up from my feet to see Chloe and Angel waiting by my door.  
  
Angel shook her head at Chloe's comment. "More like two minutes. Max, I hate to bail but my friend texted me and will be here any minute. I should meet her in the parking lot."  
  
"We could help you bring boxes in!" Chloe shot me a look letting me know lugging boxes for a girl she'd just met was _not_ at the top of her priorities. Angel smirked at Chloe and turned back to me.  
  
"I'll be fine. It's been years since the two of you have hung out. I'm not getting in the way of your homecoming. We'll chat later, Max," she said, heading past me toward the stairs. I waved goodbye to Angel and turned back to Chloe, my stomach sinking. Dog, I was feeling nervous all at once.  
  
Chloe looked startled as Angel walked off but after a moment her grin returned and she gestured grandly toward the door. "Well, Max, will you let me in, or should I pick the lock?"  
  
I rolled my eyes. "Right. Like you can pick locks. It's not like in computer games. Besides, it's unlocked." I opened the door and walked in, Chloe crowding in behind me and shutting the door behind us.  
  
The room felt even more cramped with the door shut. Chloe looked around at the boxes and luggage. "You'd be surprised at what I know, Max. And it gives me a chance to practice my skills, I'm getting rusty!" She grinned at me and I wondered if Chloe was joking or not. "So, where should we start?"  
  
My throat threatened to close up. I knew what I needed to do. It had been hanging over me since I first saw Chloe. I should have said it earlier... I'd just been so shocked at how much she'd changed. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "Chloe, I'm so sorry I didn't get in touch sooner. Seattle just... it sucked without you. I felt kinda lonely, out of my league."  
  
I opened my eyes to see Chloe turn back toward me, leaning against my dorm wall. Her expression was inscrutable. "I would think you'd fit right in with the art school hipsters..."  
  
"Right. You look like the cover of Hipster Girl dot com," I retorted and then bit my tongue.  
  
Chloe smirked at my comment. "At least you're still a smartass."  
  
"Sorry," I said, taking another deep breath. "I should have written long ago, or tried calling once I got into Blackwell. I-- I just thought it would be better to talk to you in person?"  
  
She shook her head and rolled her eye, her expression growing angrier. "Please, girl. You came back for Blackwell Academy, and Mark Jefferson."  
  
"Don't you think I'm happy to see you?" I asked, my voice plaintive and almost pleading in my ears.  
  
Chloe snorted, her eyes growing even fiercer. "No. You were happy to wait five years without a call, or even a text."  
  
"You really wanted me texting you using my parents' phone?" I asked her, receiving rolled eyes in response. "Dog. My parents were still paying for every text up until last year when Mom put me on her calling plan."  
  
"And your PC? Don't tell me you had to pay for each _e-mail_ as well?"  
  
"You're merciless," I responded, sinking down onto my bed to stare into my hands. This is what I'd been scared of. She was still angry. She had every right to be furious at me.  
  
I looked up when she put her hand on my shoulder. "Fuck, Max. Look, yeah, I'm still miffed. But you _did_ come visit me on your first day here. And good thing, too! You're going to get hella homework. You'd probably not visit me until October or bother going to the Two Whales for waffles. Now? Now you have no excuse to procrastinate!"  
  
She smirked down at me and I smiled hesitantly back. She still remembered my love of her mom's waffles. Joyce refused to share the recipe with anyone. Not even my mom had been able to cajole it out of her. Still, I had to be honest with Chloe. "I only visited because of Angel. She nearly chased me out the door to get me to you."  
  
"You could have said no. Made any of a hundred reasons. But you chose to visit me. And fuck, Max, showing up on a motorcycle? That was hella awesome," Chloe said, a grin playing on her lips. She sighed and looked nervous as she glanced over at me. "You've been honest with me. I should be honest too. I-- I didn't graduate, Max. They kicked me out two years ago."  
  
I just have looked an idiot gaping at her as she closed her eyes and looked away from me. _Chloe? Kicked out? How? Why?_ A quick shake of my head didn't clear the shock, and as Chloe's eyes opened and focused on the door I realized I needed to speak. "What did you do?" _Oh yeah, idiot. Perfect._  
  
She turned back toward me looking conflicted. "I-- well, I tagged the parking lot while everyone was asleep. Got caught by step-dick, and when they suspended me, I threw out my books and tagged the girl's bathroom walls. Drew Principal Wells drinking hooch. He... let's say he wasn't amused by my artistry and they never let me back in." We both were startled by the snicker that escaped my lips, and Chloe grinned, the light returning to her eyes. "Yeah, it _was_ kinda funny."  
  
Fuck it. I stood and gave Chloe a tight hug. "It doesn't matter. We're still Max and Chloe, right?"  
  
A moment passed and her arms tightened around her, her face pressed against my stomach. "Yeah, right. Now and forever."  
  
I couldn't help the smile on my face as I leaned back. It felt good knowing she trusted me enough to tell me she'd been expelled. My smile faded as her comment caught up to me. "Wait. Step-dick?"  
  
Chloe's face hardened in annoyance. "Yeah. Mom couldn't wait to get re-hitched. She found the first fascist porn mustache she could and fucking invited him over for _Christmas!_ I mean, Dad's grave wasn't even cold and she started dating..." she closed her eyes and I stepped close and hugged her tight once more.  
  
"That truly sucks, "I said. I was surprised by the tears in my eyes. And the anger. William died a week before my parents and I moved to Seattle. I'd begged them to hold off. I suggested we could move in with Joyce and Chloe for a little bit, help them come to terms with their loss. They _needed_ us. But my parents refused to listen. "I take it he sucks?"  
  
Chloe looked up at me from my stomach and smirked. "Understatement of the century, Max. Mom dotes on him and ignores that he's a paranoid ass," she said. She hesitated and after a long moment shrugged. "This ain't getting your room in order Max. I see what you're trying to do. You want me to sneak back into Blackwell tomorrow to put things together!"  
  
I stared down at Chloe and then smirked back at her. "Wowser. You saw right through my devious plan. I was going to beg you into helping me with math and everything."  
  
"Dunno if you want me helping you with classes, Max," she said, leaning back on the bed. "I mean, I _attended_ classes... mostly... but I don't think I remember anything. What are you taking anyway?"  
  
"I'm kind of dreading Algebra and Chemistry. The rest I probably can handle... though if you want to take my phys ed classes for me? I'd gladly let you! And Cultural Anthropology... you know, maybe you could just take most of my classes and I'll just show up for photography!"  
  
Chloe laughed at my hopeful tone. "Dude, you'd flunk out so fast if we did that. And I think both Wells _and_ step-dick would have coronaries. But I've a part-time job a couple days a week. It just won't work out. Sorry Max, you're going to have to take your own classes."  
  
"Drat!" I said, mostly in jest. I glanced over Chloe's head at the wall as an idea hit. "You know, I do suck at math...."  
  
"What else is new, Max?" Chloe snarked.  
  
"Be nice... look, you know than I do. I'd really appreciate your help with homework." _This could work... if Chloe tutors me in math then we can hang out more! For school!_ "You know, tutoring me?" I looked at Chloe and noticed the startled, almost panicked look in her eyes. "Nevermind. I'm being pushy here, aren't I."  
  
Chloe paused and then met my gaze. "It's been a bit for me, Max. I'm going to be rusty as fuck. But if you _really_ want my help? I'll see what I can do."  
  
I smiled gratefully back at her. "Thank you. This means a lot to me. And hey, if you're helping me with homework, we can hang out more, right?"  
  
"You know, Max, you don't need to use school as a reason to hang out with me," Chloe chided me with a grin.  
  
"Yeah, but I need to get the homework done anyway, so why not hang out with you while doing it? Well, unless you think it would be boring or something?"  
  
"Dude, of course it'll be boring. But it's better than being alone until you finish stuff. Speaking of which... where do we begin?" Chloe asked, her gaze taking in the room. She paused and grinned. "A houseplant? Really?"  
  
I blinked and looked over at Lisa. "Yeah. Mom..." I sighed, my cheeks growing warm. She was honest to me. "She never let me get a pet. She said if I could take care of a plant then maybe we could get a cat. But I keep going through plants. I started with Aubrey... and well, this is Lisa. I'm hoping I can keep her alive longer than a month."  
  
Chloe flopped back onto the bed with a laugh. "Seriously? How many plants is that, 20? No wait, you're into the _Li's_ now... so gotta be over 50 now!" She stared up at me, her eyes dancing, and I snagged the pillow Blackwell had provided me along with the bunk bed and swatted her with it.  
  
"Ass," I said, laughter in my voice as Chloe rolled and dodged my attack. "No, I skipped some letters. A couple letters. I left Ingrid back home."  
  
"That's still... I mean, I've heard of green thumbs but... what do they call this? A brown thumb? No, that sounds gross... um, black?" Chloe got introspective and I let the pillow drop... and she immediately snagged it and whacked me. "Gotcha!"  
  
"Hey! No fair!"  
  
"All's fair in love and war, Maxaroni! I win! So... where do we start?"  
  
Maxaroni. Why did my heart feel so light in hearing her use that old nickname? I smiled and extended my hand down to her to pull her off of my bed. "Let's just open boxes and see where we go from there."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay on getting this out! I ran into some issues, including how much would Chloe disclose to Max after only having Max back for a couple hours and figuring out what sort of part-time seasonal job Max would have had back in Seattle. And then when everything was said and done... well, the one-sided pillow fight distracted from either girl learning what the other did (or does) for work, and the story _still_ became the wordiest chapter of this storyline. ^^;;
> 
> And for those of you surprised I had Angel leave these two alone together? Well, we'll be seeing more of Angel, so no worries there. 
> 
> Now I just have to think of how the next part will go. I _could_ have an awkward dinner at the Price-Madsen household... maybe even drag Angel along for the ride... or start with the next day of school. We'll have to see. :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Operation: Decorate Max's Room was a success! But will Operation: Resume Friendship also succeed? An unexpected text message from Joyce to Chloe and an invite to dinner has Max thinking that maybe being shanghaied into meeting Chloe before she'd settled in wasn't a bad idea after all. Now if only her fellow _classmates_ would be so easy to befriend....

Back before I moved, Chloe would tease me on being shorter than her. I insisted that I'd catch up to her. But that last growth spurt never happened. She's a head taller than me and all leggy and I watched as she easily put a Polaroid on the wall just shy of the ceiling. The only reason she was standing on my bed was it was up against the wall and neither of us wanted to bother pulling it away. Even _with_ the bed I'd be straining on tippy-toes to reach that high.  
  
She smiled down at me, the flash of teeth brightening her face. "This about good, Maximillian?" She'd been nicknaming me for the past hour as we hung posters and arranged the room. It was nothing like I'd intended it to look, but I liked it. Even if Chloe joked that I needed pictures of naked girls up as well for reference matter when I draw. "Earth to Max, come in Max!"  
  
My cheeks flushed as I realized I'd distracted myself yet again. "Um, yeah! It looks great!" I responded, nearly tripping over the words. I reached up with the final Polaroid. "Here, this is the last of them," I said. She'd spread them over two walls, both above the baseboard and along the side. I'd originally intended on having them all on one wall so I could see them while lying in bed until Chloe pointed out I'd be at a bad angle to see them.  
  
We'd already hung the posters on the opposite wall so I let Chloe indulge her artistic whims in crafting an image out of photographs. We'd created a butterfly, its body in the corner and wings outstretched on each wall. I'd be able to see it even when lying down and looking up at them. It seemed... right, somehow. It was much more interesting than what I'd originally envisioned. Chloe had an eye for this sort of thing, in the layout. I did better when behind the viewfinder, though I clearly had much to learn.  
  
"You know, it's a shame you didn't go with my first idea," Chloe said with a grin. I rolled my eyes and remained silent. I didn't need to arrange my photos in a huge extended middle finger to anyone entering my room. The last thing I wanted was for anyone coming in and being offended by my pictures flipping the bird to them. I had a hard enough time making friends as it was.  
  
Chloe's phone buzzed and she reached into her pocket to glance at the screen. Her expression darkened and she hit the button to silence the next buzz. "Um, who was it?" I asked.  
  
"Just Mom, checking in on me. She wanted to know if I'd be home for dinner," she replied, still looking annoyed. Food. How long had it been since I'd had that granola bar? We both blinked at the sudden gurgle from my stomach. "Fuck, Max, that was impressive!" She grinned at me before giving me a side glance. "When's the last time you ate, anyway?"  
  
"Um... I had a granola bar for lunch, I think? We drove straight here and my folks didn't want to worry about traffic and they've a long ride home and I think I had a granola bar for lunch..." I clamped my mouth shut when I realized I'd started to ramble. Fortunately, Chloe looked amused. I might have lost another coolness point with her (I wonder how many I earned showing up on the back of Angel's motorcycle?) but she didn't seem about to flee lest my drivel saps all her sanity.  
  
Chloe glanced up at the ceiling and then pulled her phone back out. "Tell you what. Why don't you come home with me? I'm sure Mom would love to see you," she said, typing something on her phone. She paused just before hitting Send. "Um, assuming you want to. I mean, your scholarship pays for two meals a day, right? They might be serving something...."  
  
I smiled back at Chloe. "I'd love to have one of Joyce's homecooked meals again. Please, let Joyce know I'll be coming with you." I paused and added "She won't mind, will she? I don't want to...."  
  
"To what? Be a bother?" Chloe asked, smirking at me as she hit Send. "You're the daughter she _wishes_ she'd had. Once she knows you're here? She'd _insist_ I bring you over for dinner. Heck, she'd probably give you my share if she's short on food."  
  
As I struggled to respond to her cynicism (I mean, Joyce _loved_ Chloe. She _had_ to, she was her mom!) Chloe's phone vibrated and her smile widened. "Yup, just as I thought. She insists you come back with me. I'm telling you; she won't let me in without you by my side," she snarked and extended her hand to me. "So, unless you want me to go hungry as well, we'd better be off!"  
  
"Very well," I replied, and helped her down from my bed. I snagged a hoodie and tied it to my waist. It was still warm out, but it'd be dark by the time I got back. Chloe also tied her leather jacket to her waist and we headed out into the hall, which wasn't quite as abandoned as earlier. Several girls were chatting with each other, including a beautiful girl wearing a low-cut blouse that'd only emphasize my lack of a figure (and the fact my freckles are everywhere), her auburn hair pulled back in a ponytail. She was talking to another gorgeous girl whose hair was lighter than mine and parted on the right.  
  
The auburn-haired girl did a double-take at us and turned from her friend. "Chloe Price? What are you doing here?"  
  
Chloe paused and I stumbled to a stop next to her. She pursed her lips and tapped them with her finger for a moment. "I'm sorry... who are you?"  
  
"Dana. Dana Ward. I used to hang out with Rachel at school," she said. Her friend was gazing curiously at the two of us and I resisted the urge to hide behind Chloe's back. I was going to be going to school with these girls. I couldn't just hide behind Chloe like I used to back in elementary school.  
  
"That's right, Dana! Sorry, it's been forever. I was visiting Max here," Chloe said, glancing over at me with a smile. I gave a nervous half-wave while wishing I could sink into the floor. Okay, maybe I _should_ have hidden behind Chloe.  
  
Her friend came to my rescue, snagging Dana by the elbow. "Easy, Dana, you're going to scare her off," she teased and tilted her head as her gaze settled on me. "I've not seen you around before, I thought I knew everyone in Arcadia Bay. How do you know Chloe?"  
  
I swallowed and tried to take a calming breath. "I-- I moved five years ago. This is the first time we've seen each other in forever." Dog. I sounded pathetic.  
  
Chloe took pity on me and came to my rescue. "Guys, we'd love to chat but we're off to get noms. Max hasn't eaten all day," she added. Dana's friend pulled her to one side so we could pass.  
  
"Scare her off? Juliet, you're the worst! I was just saying hi," Dana said as I hurried after Chloe. She didn't slow and took the steps two at a time. I found myself trailing more and more.  
  
"Chloe, wait up!" I called after her. She paused at the door until I caught up. Chloe pushed it open with a smirk, extending her arm, to let me lead the way out. The door swung shut behind us and I took a deep breath. It was completely overcast now and it had cooled slightly, though not enough for me to pull on my hoodie. Outside of the brief window of sunlight when I'd tried photographing the totem, it had been cloudy much of the day, even when driving down from Seattle. I gave out a little sigh. "Thank you for bailing me out there. I just... froze."  
  
Chloe let out a short laugh and caught up with me to ruffle my hair. "Never change, Max. Seriously. But Dana's not a bad person. Rachel thought highly of her," she said. We started down the walkway toward the street, Chloe taking the lead again, but she continued straight rather than cutting across Blackwell. After a moment's pause at the steps, I hurried after her.  
  
"So... who's Rachel?" I asked. Chloe nearly tripped before glancing back at me before putting her hands in her pockets.  
  
"Rachel Amber," she started and then paused, taking a deep breath. "She was my... angel. After Dad died and you moved... I felt abandoned. Rachel saved my life," she said, staring straight ahead. Her voice was softer, sadder, very unlike the new Chloe I'd talked to for the past couple of hours.  
  
"Man, I had no idea," I said, trying to fill the void after Chloe's voice petered out.  
  
Chloe glanced over her shoulder at me, her brow furrowed. "Well, you never made much effort to find out. I was 14, we were best friends."  
  
I rubbed the back of my neck, unable to meet her gaze. "I never forgot, Chloe. Even if I was an asshole and didn't keep in touch. But you had Rachel...."  
  
She shook her head and returned her gaze to the road. We walked on the sidewalk past Blackwell and toward her house. "Rachel had my back. We were gonna kick the world's ass. You would laugh at how different we were... she wanted to be a star, a model," Chloe said, her voice fading away again at the end.  
  
Rachel _had_ Chloe's back. She _wanted_ to be a star. "What happened?" I asked, half-surprised to hear I'd spoken aloud. That I'd dared to ask Chloe something.  
  
Chloe shrugged. "I don't know. Half a year ago she just... left Arcadia Bay. Without... me. She left a brief note saying she was sorry but that's it."  
  
"Do her parents know where she went? Or are they looking for her?"  
  
Her shoulders slumped. "I don't know. I don't know if they're in denial, pretending nothing's wrong... but Rachel wouldn't just bail like that. Something's wrong, Max."  
  
There had to be more to it than that. "So... what's got you suspicious?"  
  
Chloe took a deep breath and let it all out. "Before she left? She said she'd met someone who'd changed her life. And then? Poof! She's gone. What am I _supposed_ to think?"  
  
"You've not heard anything from her since?"  
  
"Like everyone in my life. My dad, you... and Rachel. Gone..." she said, her voice almost a whisper. Her pace slowed until we were barely moving. I struggled to think of something to say, but words failed me. We walked together in silence. Finally, as her house came into view, Chloe spoke up. "At least you came back. Thank you, Max."  
  
I gave Chloe a hug and smiled up at her. "It's good to be home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! This update kind of languished half-written for some time. I got hit by a combination of writer's block, existential dread over the elections, and busyness. Fortunately, last night I decided "enough" and got the ball rolling once again. And I'll keep it rolling even if all I manage is one sentence at a time.
> 
> Admittedly the last third of the story went a lot faster as I indulged in an old-time favorite technique of LiS fanficcers - reusing old material! So if Chloe and Max's dialogue sounds familiar... it's because it's kind of lifted from the game. Oh, I changed up a few things here and there and there is a fun little alteration I made that I'm curious if folk will notice.
> 
> Because while _A New Beginning_ may have echoes of the future playing out with Max and Chloe's renewed friendship... things have changed with the beating of new wings. Things that were. Things that are. And things that may or may not yet come to pass.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy! :)

**Author's Note:**

> The best-laid plans of mice and men don't long last past reality. My thought of using _Angels_ for all of Max's chapters and _Old Acquaintances_ for all of Chloe's... well, that could become confusing hella fast. Thus I'm moving this to its own section and it will likely be the last part of Day One. Likely. Unless inspiration hits. You never can tell. I mean, originally I wasn't intending on having a Max-centric chapter crop up this soon! Anyway, sorry for the confusion and the lost Comments!
> 
> As for Warren? I'm just going to smile evilly and refuse to acknowledge what is in store for him. Heh heh heh.
> 
> The song Max is listening to is [Can't You See the World is Ending](https://thedoubleclicks.bandcamp.com/track/cant-you-see-the-world-is-ending) by the Doubleclicks, a truly awesome duo of sisters that sing geek songs on a variety of topics and have for a decade now. And yes, the song in question was released before September of 2013, so it's very much something Max could have found. And knowing Max, probably bought. ;)


End file.
